If theTONY Awards were presented today, who would you Nominate?

I know, I know - there are 2 more months and another dozen or so shows to open before the actual Tony cutoff in May. But, if they Tony cutoff were today (March 2) - who do you think would deserve a nomination up to this point in the game? My pics (in choice order)(if I only nominate 1-4 choices, thats all I believe deserves a nod at this point) are below:

MUSICAL
Xanadu

PLAY
August: Osage County
The Seafarer
Mauritius
Rock & Roll

SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT
Passing Strange

MUSICAL REVIVAL
Sunday In the Park with George

PLAY REVIVAL
Come Back, Little Sheba
Cyrano
The Homecoming

ACTOR - PLAY
Kevin Kline - Cyrano
Kevin Anderson - Come Back, Little Sheba
Norbert Leo Butz - Is He Dead
Rufus Sewell - Rock & Roll
Ian McShane - The Homecoming

ACTRESS - PLAY
S. Epatha Merkerson - Come Back, Little Sheba
Deanna Dunagan - August: Osage County
Amy Morton - August: Osage County

F. ACTOR - PLAY
Jim Norton - The Seafarer
Bobby Carnavalle - Mauritius
Conleth Hill - The Seafarer
Charles Edwards - The 39 Steps

F. ACTRESS - PLAY
Allison Pill - Mauritius
Rondi Reed - August: Osage County
Zoe Kazan - Come Back, Little Sheba
Jennifer Ferrin - The 39 Steps

ACTOR - MUSICAL
Daniel Evans - Sunday in the Park with George

ACTRESS - MUSICAL
Jenna Russell - Sunday in the Park with George
Kerry Butler - Xanadu

F. ACTOR - MUSICAL
Christopher Fitzgerlad - Young Frankenstein
Tony Roberts - Xanadu

F. ACTRESS - MUSICAL
Mary Testa - Xanadu
Sutton Foster - Young Frankenstein
Megan Mullaly - Young Frankenstein
Andrea Martin - Young Frankenstein

DIRECTION - MUSICAL
Sam Buntrock - Sunday in the Park with George
Christopher Ashley - Xanadu
Susan Stroman - Young Frankenstein

DIRECTION - PLAY
Anna D. Shapiro - August: Osage County
Conor McPhearson - The Seafarer
Dan Sullivan - The Homecoming
Michael Pressman - Come Back, Little Sheba

SCORE
None

BOOK
None

Of course as the 11 or so shows still yet to open, do actually open - some of these may fall off and change. And depending on what they decide "Passing Strange" actually is - I may cite it for best Score and possibly Musical. One thing is for sure - I hope some of these upcoming Musicals are GOOD because thus far - Yuck on the Musical front and BRAVO to all the great new plays and play revivals.

Updated On: 3/2/08 at 09:42 PM

Trying to stick to what has openned before today. The Sunday submissions would be okay, but Cat does not open till this week.

Best New Musical:
PASSING STRANGE
XANADU
IN THE HEIGHTS

Revival of a Musical:
SUNDAY IN THE PARK
SOUTH PACIFIC
GYPSY

Best New Play:
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
MAURITIUS
THE 39 STEPS

I did not see ROCK N"ROLL so I cannot comment

Best Revival of a Play:
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
PYGMALION

(for now)

in bolds ..my choice for the award...again "for now"

J*

Updated On: 3/2/08 at 09:52 PM

For the BILLIONTH time, PASSINGSTRANGE *is* a MUSICAL. It's NOT a SPECIAL EVENT. OoOh, just because it's 'different in its storytelling approach', blah, blah, blah! It's all the same if one was to consider SPRING AWAKENING. "Why are they holding microphones?" "Why is the band onstage?" -- it's an obscure theatrical narrative, but it works BIG-TIME, and by all accounts (i.e.: the RAVES it received) DESERVES a nomination come May. I don't mean to come off as 'pressing the issue' or anything, but come'on now! It's been debated to death here...

IN THE HEIGHTS hasn't opened yet. it wouldn't be eligible if the Tony Awards were today.

I think Sierra Boggess deserves one. She's great in TLM.

Kerry for Xanadu....and if you count In the Heights, it will rack up a lot of nominations, i think.

---

This is a tough one...not going to venture to answer them all.

Best Musical
In the Heights

Best Original Score
IN THE HEIGHTS or Passing Strange

Best Play
AUGUST

Best Revival, Musical
South Pacific

Best Actress in a Musical
Kelli O'Hara (Her breakdown when she discovers Emile's past is really quite amazing - as is her naturalism. Really makes Nellie a human being)

Best Actor in a Musical
Daniel Evans

Best Light Design
Would love to say In the Heights, but I think that folks may not be impressed as it is really a bunch of gobos - though that scene where abuela goes back in time is stunning.

Sunday should win but I tend to think of their computer effects as an aspect of lighting design and not sets. I mean, the set is basically a white room.

Best Scenic Design
South Pacific (The stage is so deep and glorious. When the guys run on singing "Bloody Mary" it feels like you're literally landed on the beach. Great stuff in act 2, as well!)